The school offers many options for parents with challenging work schedules to support the school. I have
found that the participating as an Annual Fund volunteer
makes effective use of short periods of availability, especially the phoneathons, which can be highly efficient.

I also feel that chaperone roles on trips can be a very
special way to contribute. Local field trips and overnight
expeditions can be a great way to spend time with your
child and get to know the teachers and students.

What has your volunteering has been like?

Making phone calls to solicit donations for the Annual
Fund is a good way to learn about the concerns of some
parents, but mainly it is a fun and interactive way to
touch base with people you don’t get to see as often as
you would like while rallying support for the school.

The overnight trips develop in complexity as our children progress through lower school and, of course, they
culminate in the 5th Grade exchange program which
was an important experience for both of my sons.

What is your favorite part about engaging with theschool?

Since I don’t get to contribute routinely, I appreciate the
flexibility and thought that the school puts into creating
opportunities that add value in short pre-defined ways.

What motivates you to engage with the school?

It has been interesting, over the years, to compare notes
with our friends who live in the city and with my older
daughter, who attended International High School but
who has many friends who attended schools around the
town. I am happy to engage because I believe that what
we are building here as a community is very special: an
institution that is outward oriented and always evolving
(not insular and self-referential), that provides structure
without stifling children or diluting their individual
accountability while always asking them to stretch. In
many ways, it is the ideal hybrid of the private schools
I attended growing up in New York City, the UN high
school I attended in Geneva, Switzerland and the many
things that make San Francisco one of the great cities in
the world. These kids are very lucky.